Voyant is a cashflow planning system that can play a key part in a client understanding their financial future. When used in close collaboration with skilled financial advisers and clients it can help bring financial plans to life in a clear and visually engaging way.

Voyant presents complicated financial planning calculations in a way that is easy to understand and to access. It enables financial advisers to help clients plan their future cashflow by forecasting income, expenses, assets and liabilities, taking a wide range of other variables into account. Voyant’s tax planning capabilities can also help advisers develop a strategy to minimise tax payments while complying with relevant legislations.

Used collaboratively between client and adviser the system can be a tool to suggest different options for investing assets, based on a client’s current circumstances, financial goals and attitude to risk. For example, the system’s award winning estate and inheritance tax module can provide ideas for consideration that can be discussed between client and adviser.

Voyant can create reports in PDF, Excel and Word and supports the secure sharing of information.

How it works

A financial planners' primary role is to create personalised plans, taking account of the client's circumstances, aspirations and concerns. A robust financial plan brings the confidence to make better financial decisions.

Creating this plan is a complex task and takes account many factors – including outgoings, capital replacements and changes in circumstances. It is further complicated by wider uncertainties, such as inflation and investment returns.

Voyant creates an interactive plan that accounts for all these factors. It helps make the future tangible by plotting your direction. The system enables advisers to discuss cashflow projections with clients and change any variables that they choose.

For example, what if you want a new car; to travel the world; or help pay for your grandchild's education? What if you are concerned about the cost of long term care, or if one partner predeceases another? Those variables can be changed easily in Voyant to show the effect on income, expenditure and capital.

In this way the system creates a realistic and personalised plan. Most importantly, Voyant shows that - accounting for all your concerns - your plan could provide enough income throughout your life. It thus gives you the reassurance to spend as you need, safe in the knowledge that your financial future is secure.

Case studies - Voyant in action

1. Safe gift giving

A couple from North Wales were concerned about their potential inheritance tax liability. They wanted to make gifts to their children to avoid this without jeopardising their own financial security, particularly if they were to cover potential long-term care costs in the future.

Using Voyant they could see that gifts of £200,000 could be made in the next three to four years, mitigating the inheritance tax liability while leaving sufficient funds to cover living expenses and care costs if required. Voyant showed that an annual 5% return on their investments would support this. The gifts meant that their children could afford a deposit to buy their first home.

2. Informed retirement choice

A gentleman from Cheshire had recently completed a consultancy role. He considered retiring completely, but was concerned that he had insufficient assets to support his standard of living.

Voyant demonstrated that he could afford to retire as long as expenditure was no more than £2,000 a month and that pension investment returns were above 6.5%. He felt this was unrealistic, particularly as he had children who were still financially dependent.

So he took another role for two years, bridging the income shortfall until his state pension started. Voyant had facilitated an informed decision.

The information provided through the Equilibrium website is based on our opinion and is for general information purposes only. It is not, and should not be construed as financial advice.

The information contained in this website should not be looked upon as advice or recommendation, clients should seek appropriate guidance from their financial planner. The value of your investments can fall as well as rise and are not guaranteed. Investors may not get back the amount originally invested. The FCA regulates advice which we provide on investment and insurance business; however it does not regulate advice which we provide purely in respect of taxation matters.